enslaver
noun
en·slav·er
in-ˈslā-vər 
en-
plural enslavers
1
: someone or something that forces one or more people into or as if into slavery
The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest my enslavers. I could regard them in no other light than a band of successful robbers, who had left their homes, and gone to Africa, and stolen us from our homes …—
Frederick Douglass
Frederick DouglassThe opera's libretto depicts Columbus as hungry for gold and an enslaver of the Tainos …—Bill Kaufman
Bill Kaufman… writings and textbooks and pamphlets—some 100 years old—calling tobacco foul, poisonous, an enslaver of the mind and soul.—Matthew Ebner
Matthew Ebner2
: slaveholder
Six years after she was enslaved on Spanish Point, Prince's enslaver sold her again to another slaveholder …—Christopher Michael Blakley
Christopher Michael Blakley… the Fugitive Slave Act was a source of contention for communities in the North that were torn about whether to comply with returning former slaves to their enslavers.—Bethany Bump
Bethany BumpExamples of enslaver in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
From the ages of 12 to about 22, Harriet Jacobs lived under the watch of her enslaver, a wealthy physician named James Norcom Sr.
—Mollie Barnes, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025
In 1850, enslavers even voided the writ of habeas corpus and its due process protections against unlawful detention by pushing through a national Fugitive Slave Law.
—Time, 5 Sep. 2025
Trained by his enslaver in bricklaying and carpentry, Moses became foreman of a building crew, erecting barns, homes, and warehouses across the South.
—Geri Stengel, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
And in my hometown of Philadelphia, over a dozen displays about slavery at Independence National Park — including an exhibit describing George Washington as an enslaver — have been flagged for review.
—Jonathan Zimmerman, Twin Cities, 21 Aug. 2025
For an enslaved man, donning a silvery-white wig might be a way to claim social status or, perhaps, to parody his enslavers’ beloved hairdos.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 21 July 2025
As a result, Texas became a hotspot for enslavers who fled their states with enslaved people in hopes of avoiding emancipation.
—Andrea Wurzburger, People.com, 18 June 2025
Although enslaved people had been officially emancipated years prior, enslavers responsible for telling them ignored the order until Union troops arrived to enforce it, founder of Juneteenth.com Cliff Robinson earlier told USA TODAY.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 16 June 2025
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Mollie Barnes, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025
In 1850, enslavers even voided the writ of habeas corpus and its due process protections against unlawful detention by pushing through a national Fugitive Slave Law.
—Time, 5 Sep. 2025
Trained by his enslaver in bricklaying and carpentry, Moses became foreman of a building crew, erecting barns, homes, and warehouses across the South.
—Geri Stengel, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
And in my hometown of Philadelphia, over a dozen displays about slavery at Independence National Park — including an exhibit describing George Washington as an enslaver — have been flagged for review.
—Jonathan Zimmerman, Twin Cities, 21 Aug. 2025
For an enslaved man, donning a silvery-white wig might be a way to claim social status or, perhaps, to parody his enslavers’ beloved hairdos.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 21 July 2025
As a result, Texas became a hotspot for enslavers who fled their states with enslaved people in hopes of avoiding emancipation.
—Andrea Wurzburger, People.com, 18 June 2025
Although enslaved people had been officially emancipated years prior, enslavers responsible for telling them ignored the order until Union troops arrived to enforce it, founder of Juneteenth.com Cliff Robinson earlier told USA TODAY.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 16 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Enslaver.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enslaver. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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